Community College Admission and Student Retention

Journal of College Admission, Winter 2007 by Roman, Marcia A

Abstract

Community colleges enroll nearly half the undergraduates in the U.S. These institutions play a significant role in the academic, social, political, and economic future of our nation. As historically open admission institutions, with a primary focus on providing access to higher education, they have been pressed in recent decades-as has all of higher education-to be more accountable and demonstrate the benefits they offer and at what cost. A common measure of accountability is student retention. What role do admission officers play in student retention? While the admission processes may be quite different between four-year institutions and community colleges, the purposes are similar. Insofar as they set the stage for what it takes to be successful in college, admission officers play a crucial role in the broader student life cycle that extends from prospect to alumnus.

Community Colleges

Community colleges are uniquely American in their genesis and are founded on democratic traditions (Wattenbarger and AIbertson, 2004). Historically open admission institutions, their purpose has evolved far beyond providing the first two years of a bachelor's degree (Milliron and Wilson, 2004). Community college missions now include preparing students for transfer to four-year institutions, vocational education, contract education for local employers, remediation of basic skills, and even community services (Wattenbarger and Albertson, 2004; Gooden and Matus-Grossnian, 2002). American democracy fueled the expansion of community colleges as un-served, average citizens were the institutions' target demographic (Witt, et al., 1994). Community colleges now serve as a major component in the higher education system in the United States (Dougherty, 1987; Pascarella and Terenzini, 2005).

Community college advocates have argued that these institutions serve larger societal roles by providing access, social mobility and thus serve a type of democratizing function (Dougherty, 1987; Pascarella and Terenzini, 2005). By extending educational opportunity beyond the elites of society for whom it was once reserved, community colleges open doors to employment and higher paying jobs, help to build the tax base and develop persons who contribute to the political and local community (Carnevale and Desrochers, 2004; Gooden and Matus-Grossman, 2002; McClenney, 2004a).

Because community colleges serve as a major vehicle to prepare people for trie workforce, and employers need increasing numbers of knowledge workers to remain competitive, these institutions are a significant player m the economic development of their local communities (Jenkins, 2002). Access to education beyond high school is fundamental to both individuals and to society for social and economic development (Carnevale and Desrochers. 2004; Education Commission of the States: U.S. profile, October 2003). "Without universal and lifelong access to the benefits of a college education, the nation simply will fail to meet the social and economic challenges of the years ahead." (Ruppert, 2003, p. 7).

Types of Students

Community colleges enroll almost half of American undergraduates (Center for Community College Policy, 2000; McClenney, 2004a: Randall, 2004). They attract high proportions of lowincome, first-generation college students and students of color, those typically underserved by higher education (American Association of Community Colleges, 2005; Townsend, Donaldson, and Wilson, 2005). While community colleges have long been committed to and have made significant gams in providing access, access alone does not always translate to success.

Community college students are often described as non-traditional as compared to traditional college students who attend a residential college full-time immediately after high school graduation, are aged 18-24. and have a primary focus on school (Bean and Metzner, 1985). As shown in Table I1 most community college students have at least one of the characteristics of non-traditional students and as such, display risk factors and face barriers associated with those factors at much higher rates than students who attend four year institutions (Hamm, 2004; Jenkins, 2002; Price, 2004).

Non-traditional students, and likewise, community college students, have multiple commitments, are multi-tasking, often struggle to balance work, family and school, and are commuters, m part, because community colleges are largely non-residential (Gooden and Matus-Grossman, 2002; Tinto, 1993; Voorhees, 1987). Increasing diversity of American undergraduates has been noted in both four- and two-year institutions (Pascarella and Terenzini, 1998; Ruppert, 2003), Future enrollments in community colleges are projected to increase between 2000 and 2015 both because of demographic changes and because increasing percentages of the population will pursue higher education for the opportunities they offer (Boswell. 2004; Martmez, 2004a). Among traditional-aged college students, most of the increase will be of students of color and those from low-income households (Price, 2004).